


The Final Meeting

by IcyTea



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Married Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:26:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23336854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyTea/pseuds/IcyTea
Summary: Kazuto is still haunted by the events of Sword Art Online and his time in the Underworld. He constantly improves himself day by day alongside his wife, even if some days are difficult for him. After exactly five years since Heathcliff's defeat, Kazuto links up with his AmuSphere to join a raid party with his friends. Instead, he is sent to an edge-less sky. A familiar sky that both Kazuto and Asuna experienced while conversing with Akihiko Kayaba. Kazuto wasn't sure what Kayaba wanted, but he felt that it was going to be the final time they will meet.
Relationships: Kirigaya Kazuto | Kirito/Yuuki Asuna | Asuna
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Flow of Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirito's revisits his guilt in a familiar nightmare, a duel against Heathcliff. Despite previously controlling these nightmares before, the situation shifted completely. Which causes him to experience all the guilt that built up throughout his life.

A dense fog emerges from the shadows with unknown origins. The thick cloud of mist made everything around me vanish, except for the two of us, staring each other down. I imagined the mist was most likely an illusion I perceived. An uncertain duel was about to decide the fate between myself as Kirito, the Hero, and Heathcliff, the supposed Demon King in his world.

I’ve been in this situation before, fighting Heathcliff in the Arena. However, the feelings I have with this battle is vastly different. My resolve completely shifted from trying to become the strongest in the game to survive, to end the death game once and for all. Drawing both my Elucidator and my Dark Repulser from their respective sheaths, I channel all my willpower into them as my life depends on the succession of this outcome. Strengthening them at an attempt to nullify the Demon King’s nearly invincible defense and end everything in this world, I hoist my blades before darting at him.

I knew I was worried about everyone involved in this death game. Beating the Demon King was the only goal I cared about for their sake. I thought about all who care about me and my safety.

Even those that I have seen turn into countless shards of data, it still haunts me to this very moment. I slightly become uneasy, unable to shake what appears to be a dull pain. The intensity grew significantly after I thought of Asuna and what I was getting myself into. I did not want to think about living a world without her.

‘What if I lost? Would she give up despite my efforts trying to give her a chance to continue her life for my sake?’ 

I pondered these questions considerately.

Swift and piercing, the pain was at its peak and quickly dispersed to give me the time to react. I realized this duel wasn’t about fulfilling my ambitions, but fulfilling everyone’s wishes to end this world. So that they could see a brighter future tomorrow.

  
I shake away any doubtful thoughts, I know I must discontinue all the torment that was brought upon us since day one. I know they can never return to both SAO or the real world once they die, even though I deeply want them to come back. Forever dispersed into the virtual world by countless fragments of data, my memories of them are the only things that I can salvage.

‘I have to end it all here with this battle,’ I reassured myself.

‘If I cannot end this, then it is likely no one will be able to beat the game.’

I position myself elegantly, unusual for myself to become this sensitive about balancing before the first strike. I tense up for a brief moment, before I sporadically dash towards his shield.

‘This is a fight to the death,’ I said to focus myself.

‘That’s right. I’m going to kill him!’

Unleashing as much speed and power without break, I sprint in a straight path. Ignoring all sense of risk and fear from my mind, I make my way towards him and his shield. I am aware that he can also bash me with the shield like last time, I had to continue unleashing attacks without triggering a skill to provide myself any time to avoid his Holy Sword. The combination of metallic clanging of the shield and clashing between swords made it feel like our duel was going on for hours on end. I couldn’t tell if I was even weakening him, but it was the least of my concerns. I keep my pace and try to aim for any possibility of an exposed torso, all while he focuses on defending each strike that approach his way. My eyes lock into his, constantly searching for a moment to breach any sliver of vulnerability that I could find in his defense. Each swing seemed more futile than the previous attempt, but I couldn’t accept such a result. I have to be faster.

‘I can’t rely on Sword Skills. I can only trust in myself.’

As I psych myself up, I continue to unleash a few more swings to make sure I barely give him any room to counter.

‘Faster… I have to move faster,’ I thought to myself again to keep myself alert.

I lunge a few more blows onto his shield, and get irritated towards Heathcliff’s smirk while he thwarts my efforts to damage him. My body recoiled after he shrugs his shield. He negated any thoughts about the possibility of weakening his durability. I tried to get a hold of my blades once more and attempt to perform as many combos as I possibly can. The constant barrage did little towards the defense that presides before me. I was nearing my last moments, but I still wanted to keep pushing forward despite everything that happened. I try to land a few more blows, but he was agile and accurately blocked each attack with his shield.

I realize my mistake as I accidentally performed a skill, which gave Heathcliff the advantage in our duel.

‘I’m sorry, Asuna. Live on without me!’ I said comfortingly to myself.

My own fatal error cost my life, but still held onto the idea of breaking through Heathcliff. Nearing the completion of the combo, I strike once more towards him directly. Upon impact, my Dark Repulser broke apart against his shield. As a result of my recklessness, the skill I performed by accident opened me up for a lethal blow by his Holy Sword.

“Farewell, Kirito,” Heathcliff said to me in a firm voice.

After hearing him say my name, I brace for what is about to be my end. Then, I witnessed what appeared to be someone with flowing chestnut hair, who sprinted and attempted to spare their life into the path of the Holy Sword. The sword produced a deep cut that slashed through their armor.

I froze in place. Witnessing someone’s life about to end instead of my own. Blaming myself once more, I failed to protect another soul from this world. I knew it was Asuna, but there was nothing about what emerged from this sudden reaction. After she apologized and said farewell, she shattered before me into countless shards. Uncontrolled data that dispersed from me with no way to recall them. I immediately got up and peered toward an empty void, with Heathcliff nowhere to be seen.

Puzzled, I tried to look for any sign of him, but every second I felt more pressured into seeking him. I realized this was a dream, but I couldn't shake this feeling within my soul. This feeling was stressing me out and I didn't want to get worse. I try to control myself and continue walking into this unfamiliar void, calming myself despite this being a reenactment of my battle with Kayaba. After several steps, a giant oval mirror appeared before me. I approached the mirror so that it can reflect myself in its entirety. Seeing my reflection from head to toe, I was still in tears from what I experienced.

“What’s going on?” I mutter in disbelief.

Still uncertain about what was happening, I continue looking around the emptiness around me. There was absolute silence for several moments, still unsure what occurred. I look at the mirror again, about to tear up and beginning to breathe uneven due to the guilt. This time, the mirror glowed and shattered in large chunks that were in suspension around me. Slowly drifting around my body to briefly peer into each shard. I noticed they weren’t reflecting myself, but revealed images of the past experiences I had throughout my life. Each piece of the mirror showed me every memory I had experienced. They were experiences with different people I had met at least once, my own childhood memories, the memories of loved ones, and tragic recollections of those that fallen before me. Each memory started to stockpile my emotions exponentially. What was soft tears, became endless streams of melancholic cries.

However, I attempt to think of those from my tragic memories I glanced at briefly:

'Daivel...'

'Coper...'

'Sachi!...'

' **Eugeo!** '

Every memory flooded into my mind, I realized I was in a dream. I am now dealing with the aftermath of my actions, seeing all the mistakes I've made in my life. Seeing the brief experience with Moonlit Black Cats guild and their disastrous fate caused by myself as a beater, unable to shake the guilt. The intense boss floors through Aincrad that made me witness the demise of many attempting to clear the death game. The infamous battle with Laughing Coffin and the Clearers, not to mention their rampage with Death Gun in GGO. Then seeing my best friend Eugeo from the Underworld. Seeing our fond memories, then seeing him bloody, and bisected... 

“Damn it, what is happening to me?” I shout in a panic. "Why now?"

I tried to get a hold of myself and flee from the shards, but the pain became worse the further I went. I kept running into the void to get away, but was met with an unsettling sight that I hope would be erased. Many fallen players, people that I knew and befriended, even those I murdered, were presented in grotesque and unsettling, repeating poses in the moments of their deaths. It is as if they were decaying, searching for who was responsible so that they could be at peace.

I could not look at their faces directly, I did not accept what I was seeing in front of me. They kept answering my name, to get me to look at them. I pleaded to them to stop, even laying my entire body facing to the floor as a form of begging. I cried bitterly, wishing for the pain to cease from the constant requests that bombarded me. I shouted at them to stop calling my name, but the voices became louder every time I attempted to retort.

“Kirito! Help us! Kirito!”

"Please stop calling my name," I said to them.

“Kirito! Kirito!”

"Please stop," I said with irritation.

“Save us Kirito!”

"Please…"

Slowly, the noises became softer and less frequent. Although I kept my eyes shut for what seemed like hours, I wanted to make sure the voices were completely gone. I had to calm down again, I did not want this guilt to eat at my heart again. I've improved on handling myself these past few years, I shouldn't be dealing with this again. Not now. Not ever.

I raise my head, and noticed a figure mimicking myself. At first, I thought it was another mirror reflecting my onyx hair, but he wore a dark blue uniform laced with white and gold trims on the edges of his garments. The most prominent feature upon his face where his golden, honey irises that glowed profoundly. The more I stared at its increasing glow, the more anxious I was about him and his presence. My breathing was becoming erratic, I couldn’t keep calm with the remaining spirit. I felt varied emotions from this man, as if they were my own. I tried to stabilize my breathing as best I could before I could concentrate again.

I sobbed uncontrollably again, as the emotions I released were in the form of bitter tears. I was unable to withstand the gravity of what I witnessed, I knelt onto the ground while I stared at his gaze.

“ **KIRITO!** ” The mysterious figure shouted at me.

The second I heard his voice, I was jolted by its energy. I attempt to evade any attack this might inflict on me, but I remain in the same position despite my sudden moment of his voice. He started his own stance and attempted to rush me. Still gazing at his dash against me, I brace myself for the impact. I wasn't sure what will happen at this point.

“Kirito-kun!” Another familiar voice whispered. A soft, yet profound sound that froze both of us in place.

"Asuna?" I responded in confusion.

A bright flash appeared before my eyes, unsure what was the cause of it. I thought it might be an explosion, and accepted what was to transpire. Everything around me dissipated into nothingness, and the flash blinded me.  
I close my eyes shut for as long as I can, making sure there was no other surprises. I eventually loosen up, and open my eyes again.

Slowly, I realize where I am at and it soothes my very soul.

'Finally, I'm home.' I thought to myself.

_I'm safe..._

Initially upon waking up, I was breathing sporadically. I look around the room, still motionless on the bed. I attempted to point out everything in the room to calm myself. I started with each door that either led to the hallway, the closet, or the private bathroom. I continue pointing out objects in the room, such as chairs, desks, and shelves. Listing them off as if I'm counting inventory.

I glanced above the desk with the assortment of photographs and picture frames. I softly smiled at each photo at a distance, nothing was missing. I shift my eyes towards who was still next to me in the bedding. It was none other than my wife, whose voluminous chestnut hair was scattered across the linen, resting peacefully with a tender smile.

I checked the clock that hanged on a wall pointing towards us. It was about six in the morning, the date was November 7, 2029. I didn't want to wake Asuna, especially since my forearm is underneath her upper back. Work wasn't until nine for her, and I had the day off for today. There was no reason for me to get up. However I did feel like cooking breakfast for her when she does wake up, I owe her that much.

'I'll stay like this for the time being,' I thought to myself.

I turned my head towards Asuna, grinning softly before turning back and observing the ceiling. Figuring out what to do today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a lot heavier to write than I thought it was going to be, don't worry the next chapter is pretty much decent fluff.


	2. Balanced Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Kazuto wakes up, he recites what is happening with his life at this point. Then he prepares breakfast for his wife before she goes off to work. Expecting himself to relax for the rest of the day before the raid in New Aincrad.

After staring at the ceiling for some time, I gave myself a self-reflection to calm myself further:

_My name is Kazuto Kirigaya, and I’m 21-years old. It has been over a year since I married Asuna Kirigaya. We’re expecting twins, one boy and one girl. We decided to horrifically name them as Eugeo and Yuuki Kirigaya. Asuna is due in about three months, and she seems to be doing perfectly fine ever since she told me the news. I tend to her whenever I can when she looks like she’s in need, and she tends to me if anything bothers me. After everything we’ve been through, I’m pleased we made it this far to experience a new chapter in our lives. We both work for Rath at their research facility in Roppongi, under the guise as interns for the company. In actuality, we’re still heavily involved with their interest in FullDive technology. I was recently appointed as Developer Assistant by Higa Takeru, who aided me in understanding the STL. Originally, I was a part-time tester for Rath, to assist in Project Alicization. After completing their goal, Alice was with me for a time until she was brought back to Rath for further research. I eventually decided to also help them maintain Alice.  
_

Asuna became a lead tester for Rath on various projects, but were less strenuous and were short dives that didn’t last longer than half an hour at a time. She seems enthusiastic about working here despite the previous events. I think it is because there wasn’t much risk, and that she could still meet with me when she’s done with her work. Although it’s been a couple of years since Alice came to our world, I’ve been hopeful that other Artificial Intelligence will be able to exist in our world too. I hope it is possible for Yui to be with us in our world, and be closer to our family. To grow with her future siblings.

'Celebrating Yui’s life with everyone else in the real world would be phenomenal,' I thought to myself.

Just thinking about it makes me feel strong-minded. I wanted to achieve this goal with all my energy. I’m sure we’ll get there in time, but I am hoping it will be sooner rather than later. Wednesdays and Saturdays are my days off from Rath, and I’m sure Asuna will keep Alice company for today. Alice has been improving her mannerisms and overall interactions with us since she came to this world.

Alice is a lot nicer and became patient with us once she got comfortable with our world. Compared to her initial, short-tempered reveal when she was advanced by reporters, this was great progress. I can’t blame her previous reactions when she came to our world. So much happened in a short amount of time. That one reporter got what was coming to him when he was asking Alice to expose her quantum brain for proof. From what Suguha told me; the dialogue was touching slightly on dark humor from the way Alice presented her irritation towards the reporter.

Suguha told me that Alice stated that she would be glad to expose her brain, but only if the reporter exposed his own brain as well. It was a bit odd and the reporter obviously had no further comments about the topic. I’m glad Alice can speak her mind; she was what I imagined how a true person should act. From thinking about what was asked and stating it in their own way without having anything holding her back. Initially Alice was staying with Sugu and I for a while, but after Unital Ring she was requested to be sent back to Rath for further analysis. We didn’t know what was going to transpire from their demand, but we consented only if I was able to visit her in Rath. They agreed, and after some time I was the one that mainly tended to Alice when I was available.

The experience from learning the fundamentals of STL from Rath was significant to me. Since I also learned a lot about every component’s function in Alice’s mainframe and how it was possible for her to be in our world. It gave me hope that Yui could be sent to this world as well. The idea of her being able to exist in this world seems plausible, but it would be a challenge since Yui isn’t born with a fluctlight that could synchronize with the current technology. Although, the way Yui behaves with us, it made me think of the problem differently.

_Yui might not be created with a fluctlight, but she might be a prototype… Some attempt from Kayaba's doing... But she's a Top-down AI... Who cares?  
_

She wasn’t created with a copy of a newborn soul, yet it may have been an attempt at allowing her to resemble as a fluctlight. At least from what I can gather, she behaves similarly as a fluctlight, even though she’s considered a program. Even though Asuna and I know Yui more than anyone else, she was still a mystery to us. I believe she’s more than a program. She’s a living being just like us, like Alice and everyone else in the Underworld. Sure, Yui is existing differently compared to those in the Underworld. I understand that she is a Top-down AI, instead of a Bottom-up like the souls in the Underworld. However, she still has thoughts, emotions, and actions that reflect towards their own. After repeating similar ramblings about my thought-process and conscience, as well as what has emerged for the past few years felt melancholic. I realized I’ve been in this deep thought process for quite a while, so I turned my head to see that it was now 7:08 AM. The light from the private window of the bedroom was narrow, about the width of a textbook that extended about half a meter near the top of the wall. Hanging over our large, king-sized mattress. I snapped out of my thoughts, noticing the room getting brighter by the minute.

‘Well that was a good warm-up for my mind. I hope everything turns out alright today,’ as I considered what to do next.

Instantly, I felt a slight nudge on the left side of my chest. A familiar warmth that made me forget everything I was thinking about. I realized Asuna turned on her side towards me, still asleep. Her pink silk robe draped across her entire body. Laced with a lighter shade of purple, with a lavender sash that made it comfortable for her to rest while she was in gestation. I forgot that it was going to be a cold day, the forecast said it would be chilly for the next few days. At least the linen is keeping us both warm at the moment. I’ve been wearing shades of dark blue to vibrant orange long-sleeves and black sweatpants to bed. It did the trick to keep myself warm enough, but not overheated.

My forearm was still pinned towards her side, not that it was restricting any blood flow, but it was considerably restrained compared to when it was just on her shoulders. She wasn’t supposed to get up for another twenty minutes, but I may as well wake her up.

I sighed, and finally poked her cheek lightly with my index finger.

“Hmmh?” She muttered, without any awareness to what I did to wake her.

“Good morning Asuna,” I said briefly.

She yawned, “Good morning, Kirito-kun. Did you sleep well?”

I shook my head.

“Not really, I had a bad dream, but I’m fine now.” I tried saying this without causing suspicion, but I can tell she didn't buy it.

She realized she was laying on my forearm and brought herself upward, still trying to orient herself.

“What time is it?” She asked, with slight concern on her face.

I respond diligently,“About ten after seven, I woke you up a bit earlier than usual. Sorry about that.”

She smiled, and tried to wrap her arms around me while I laid on the bed. She moved her head against the left side of my chest, listening to my heartbeat.

“That’s alright Kirito-kun, let’s just appreciate our time together for now,” she said softly.

Although it was routine, my soul tended to melt by the act of her finding comfort with me being alive. She showed even more concern on her face, and observed how I was acting.

I frowned.

She attempted to open me up about my nightmare, with tremendous care in her words. "Are you sure you’re fine? I know it has been a few months since you had another nightmare, you can talk to me about it if you wish.”

Normally, each of us would talk about our dreams if they bothered us enough. We’ve been doing that to help cope with any emotions we felt. Fortunately, we have been getting less nightmares for the past year, so we rarely have a reason to vent as often. However, I felt like talking to her about it tonight so that I don’t worry her today. I know she doesn't mean any harm. I shouldn't be afraid to tell her about it. However, I needed more time to think about what I experience.

I reassured her, “I’m fine. But I don’t mind telling you about it tonight, is that alright with you?”

“Yes, Kirito-kun. We can talk about it tonight,” she said in a disappointing tone.

I looked at her for a brief moment, then looked away at the photographs again.

Was it that important? Not the time to think about that, I said what felt necessary. I decided to change topics so we can move on from this topic. Worrying about what to do with ourselves for the rest of the morning. I want to discuss it later when I felt better about expressing what was represented in my bizarre dream.

“Are you up for some pancakes and eggs? My treat, I’ll even brew your favorite tea!” I said nonchalantly, as I turned my eyes back to her.

She raised her head at me and nodded with delight.

I know she just doesn’t mind when I cook for her. She knows that I mastered basic cooking, but I was still having trouble with preparing difficult dishes. They required extreme attention to detail and one mistake could ruin the entire meal. Usually, I fetch the ingredients and do some of the smaller tasks to help her out with the tough meals. Still, it made me happy that she would be interested in me making a simple meal. Though I feel there's a catch.

Asuna responded with earnest, “Don’t make mine scrambled this time please, and go easy on applying the syrup!”

I nodded.

“Okay, but I’ll still make my portion scrambled, and take the syrup for myself!” Humoring her response.

After she heard my answer, not appreciating what I said in jest, she paused briefly to give me another request.

“Also, if you don’t mind getting something for me, I’ve been craving chocolate for the past few weeks. Since there’s only one box of them left in the kitchen...”

“Alright Asuna, I’ll buy a dozen more boxes of chocolate when I’m done making breakfast. Okay?” I said with declaration.

She playfully rolled over to my side, locking her eyes with mine.

“You better! Besides, you’re going to be needing that last box to crush the remaining pieces up for the pancake batter.” She tugged at my arm to make sure I was listening.

I sighed, “You know I was going make you chocolate pancakes again, but I’ll make sure your eggs aren’t scrambled this time.”

“Good.”

I appreciate the little things in moments like these, being only worried about how we were going to treat ourselves to breakfast. Nothing substantial to deal with, no dire circumstances to ruin our moods or put us in danger. Just us together, enjoying our company. She smiled, and cupped my cheeks with her hands, leaning in for a kiss. I slightly reacted, but I’ve been used to these surprises from her. I embraced her again, hugging her snugly to lock our lips. We remained in this position for several moments before she parted from my lips, my face still radiating. She looked at me intently, and gently pressed her forehead against mine.

“You really are caring, you know?” She whispered to my ear softly.

“Over pancakes? Come on, you know you’ve done much more for me. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” I said, leaving a warm smile.

She extremely grinned from my immediate response, the biggest smile I’ve seen since we got married.

'What's gotten into her?' I thought to myself.

I reciprocated her grin with my smile, still waiting for her explanation.

“I just, I just can’t believe it. It’s like a daydream,” she exclaimed.

I was confused. Did she mean something about us being together still after all this time? Throughout all the pain? Before I could think of any other reasons, she spoke again.

“We’re finally a happy family, and we can live out our lives as best as we can. I couldn’t have it any other way, Kirito-kun.”

“Yeah, I’m a bit nervous about raising two kids at once,” I muttered.

“We dealt with Yui, I’m sure we’ll be fine taking care of Eugeo and Yuuki. We only have to do a bit more work than usual,” she said.

Despite her words, I doubt that it will be slightly difficult. I know it is a huge responsibility, there is a lot more care involved with handling children on a day-by-day basis. Yui was the stepping stone in understanding that care, but the extremities facing the constant attention of infants and their needs will take more time. Hopefully it doesn't completely hinder my time with Yui, as I care about her as much as I will about them. I cleared my mind and nodded towards Asuna in agreement.

“You’re right, there’s nothing that’s too difficult for us.”

As soon as I answered, Asuna pleasingly nodded, and was ready to get out of bed.

“Well, let’s get to it then. We got another day ahead of us,” she stated ambitiously.

“Alright, you get yourself ready, I’ll start on breakfast.”

She got out of bed first and stretched. Her hair flowed around for a moment, still pretty as I remembered. I stretched and controlled my breathing. Taking my time before getting out of bed, mainly thinking about how the rest of the week will go. She hummed her way to the private bathroom, getting her beauty products ready before she went to shower. I walked out of the bedroom, feeling the cold air that began to dissipate once I turned on the heat to a comfortable level. I went downstairs to get breakfast ready, turning on the lights along the way.

As I walked down to the kitchen, I was instantly looking for Asuna’s tea box. After I spotted it and retrieved her favorite one. I started to boil a small pot of water that was enough to fill our teapot. While it was boiling, I started to get the ingredients for the pancake mix.

It didn’t take too much effort, although instant mix would be better and less time-consuming. Since it is for Asuna, I’ll take the additional time making my own mix. I get myself a bowl, and make sure I have the ingredients on standby.  
I take the chocolate out of the last remaining box, it appeared to be enough for both of us. I start cutting them into pieces so it becomes easier to mix into the batter. I sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to make an opening in the center of the bowl. Next, I poured the milk, eggs, and melted butter into the center. Finally, I gathered all the chocolate pieces and dumped them into the bowl before mixing constantly. After a few minutes, the consistency was enough for me to start cooking. I noticed the water was boiling from the small pot, and quickly cut off the stove’s heat.

I started cooking with our electric griddle, which had enough room to cook a couple of pancakes and two eggs. I cooked my batch first; I cracked my eggs and gave myself enough batter on the griddle for just two chocolate pancakes. I heard the water from upstairs stop after I poured the batter onto the griddle. I figured I had about fifteen minutes left. Plenty of time before she got down here.

While the eggs and pancakes were cooking, I brought the hot water and poured it in the teacup with the tea bag. I was told to let it steep for four minutes, not a minute longer. I then went to the griddle to flipped the pancakes. Once I was done, I served myself the stack, and then served myself the eggs I cooked before scrambling them on my plate. After it was four minutes, I removed the tea bags and poured myself a cup. The tea was pretty good, so it didn’t need further time steeping.  
I think I overdid it on the chocolate flavor, but it works for the time being. I poured myself a helping of syrup, before I check my tea again. The tea tasted alright with the pancakes, but I normally prefer milk with how sweet these were. Now I need to focus on Asuna’s serving.

I’m fairly certain she wants at least three pancakes and a couple of eggs, but I have enough for more. I had to make sure her eggs were over easy with salt on the yolks, because I keep forgetting that she does not like them scrambled. I got the two eggs over easy onto her plate, followed by the three pancakes. I salted the yolks, sparingly poured syrup on the top of her pancakes, and poured her tea.

I heard movement from the top of the stairwell. I saw Asuna finish braiding her hair, and beginning to walk down the stairs once she was done. She was wearing a loose-fitting sweater that overlapped her large white t-shirt that was tucked into her dark khakis. While she was holding one hand on the handrail, I quickly lend my hand, walking her down to the kitchen. Her hair was still wet, but would dry by the time we were finished eating. She probably was eager to drink her tea than anything else.

I started eating my portion after I unplugged the griddle, leaving the teapot in the middle of our dinning table. I paused for a moment, and stared at her. She took one bite from the chocolate pancakes I prepared for her, and quickly cutting more pieces of it in haste. It brings back memories of when I gave her bread and then some cream to help with the taste. I guess the pancakes are that good if she's eating them that passionately.

“Do you need any butter?” I asked.

She quickly shook her head in denial.

“O-of course not!” She said abruptly.

She maneuvered her left hand towards the teacup and quickly gulped down half of its contents. I tried my hardest to not even produce a giggle from that interaction.

“Are you sure? It seems to be a bit dry. What about syrup?” I asked.

“Fine, I thought I wouldn’t need to drink that much tea with it,” she grumbled.

Upon her quest I poured a bit more syrup, and she became satisfied with the consistency of her pancakes now. We ate the remaining portion of our breakfast, the eggs were alright, but she was really livid about the pancakes.

“Make me another one, Kirito-kun,” she asked firmly.

I happily accepted her request.

After I made another one for her, she ate it with precision. Not even with additional syrup or washing it down with tea. She smeared the pieces of pancake around the plate to get as much syrup absorbed onto them as possible. I was humored, but thrilled that they were to her liking.

“How did you like the pancakes?” I asked.

She tilted her head slightly.

“Really good, I should have taken my time eating them though,” she said with affirmation.

“Yeah I was surprised at how fast you ate those pancakes,” I teased.

“I wasn’t trying to eat them quickly, but I couldn’t get enough of them.”

“Well I’m glad you enjoyed them, but what about your tea?”

She slightly leaned towards the table.

“Perfect, it was really refreshing and complimented the pancakes.”

“I still think drinking milk would have been better with these pancakes,” I winced.

I picked up each plate and put them in the sink to rinse off the remaining residue before it dried. I also took the teacups and gave them a fair rinse before placing them back on our display cabinet. I walked to the kitchen counter and started putting the ingredients up.

“Leave the rest of the kitchen equipment to me, I’ll put everything back after you go to work.”

“Aww. Come on Kirito-kun, work doesn’t start until ten for me,” she said adamently. “I got over an hour before I have to take a 20-minute commute to Roppongi.”

“Okay Asuna, let’s clean this up. Together.”

She nodded in agreement.

It didn’t take long to put everything in order, but we had to make sure they were properly placed correctly. After that, I wiped down the table and counters, making sure no residue was left from the pancakes. After I was done, I checked the weather again if anything changed. Today’s forecast was likely to have showers starting in the afternoon, I have to remember to give Asuna her umbrella when she comes home early.

“Are we done?” she said.

“Yeah, you can go freshen up, I can wait.”

She nodded, and went back to our private bathroom, getting herself ready for work.

I looked at my planner for this week. I’ve been trying to to get as many people involved with the 75-Floor Raid Boss in New Aincrad today. Asuna would be back by 4 PM, but I’m not sure if the storm will cause her to be late. She’s also going to try and get Rath to let Alice join us in the raid if possible. Sinon might be hesitant, but I’ll call to be safe. Lisbeth and Silica texted our group chat that they’ll be ready by then. Klein responded about an hour ago and said he’ll be up for it. Agil texted last week that he’ll return from vacation by this morning, so I might see a message pop up sometime later. I lurked on my group chats for a few minutes, before I heard a familiar voice speak to me.

“I’m done, Kirito-kun!”

I watched her with a smile on her face, her eyes now shining like amber. She wore a lavender knitted cap and scarf to match her sweater. She already knew it would be somewhat chilly for the next few days, so there was no need to say anything about the temperature outside.

“You look great, Asuna!”

I closed my phone, and went to get freshened up despite not going anywhere today. She responded to my compliment with a slight blush, watching me briefly walk upstairs before I went to the private bathroom. I quickly brushed my teeth and washed my face with a cool rag. I gazed into the mirror a few times, making certain there wasn’t any food stuck to my face. After I dried myself with a dry rag, I checked the time on my phone and it was 9:34 AM. Once I was done and came back down to the living room, I noticed she was on her phone for a brief moment. I went back downstairs to give Asuna her umbrella that was near the front door.

“The forecast said it was going to rain by the time you get back home,” I stated.

We looked at each other and smiled for brief moment. Then, we both uncontrollably wrapped our arms around each other. She buried her face deep into my chest, weeping out of joy.

“Thank you…”

I couldn’t react to what said other than nodding my head. A small stream tapered down my cheek from my right eye, still smiling at her.

“Have a great day at work, I love you!” I said softly.

“I love you, too!”

We caressed each others foreheads swiftly, but eventually let go of each other. I opened the front door and made sure nothing was obstructing her path to her car. I led her outside and we waved to her once she got in her car. She started her car and began driving away. I closed the front door after I could no longer see her vehicle.

I stood in the front of the living room, frozen from the sense of euphoria. I don’t how it happened; we normally experience days that are similar in feeling. This kind of day is commonplace in our lives, and sure we had some arguments throughout our relationship. However, something about today is unique for us, but I cannot figure out why it is significant.

_Could it be my dream? Is it somehow connected? Maybe.  
_

I hesitate for a moment, but I shook my body to get out of this state of paralysis. I went and took a shower still feeling joyful about today. Once I got done with my shower, I went in my pajamas to nap on the couch. I wanted to watch some shows before drifting to sleep for the entire morning. I was about to drift into sleep, then I got a notification from my phone out of the blue. I checked my phone and it was from Asuna. At first, I thought it was an emergency, but it was only an automated reminder.

"Wait a minute," I muttered.

However, it made me panic more than an emergency, the message she sent told me I had to completely clean the house today, from the inside and the outside. Which would at least take several hours to do if I don’t take any breaks. It was an alert I forgot about completely; the last reminder was back on Saturday.

“Asuna!” I yelled flailing my arms about within the confines of the living room, still laying down on the couch.

No wonder she reacted that way. I thought she was reacting over pancakes and me giving her an umbrella. She just thought I remembered the chores that were meant to be done today. Because of my attitude, it seemed like I was attentive and responsible with everything that was summed up to her needs. Obviously, I forgot about these chores despite the multiple reminders she gave me. After I accepted my own error in this situation, I laughed at myself. I checked the time on my phone, and it was a little after ten. Hoping I can get done by lunch, I raised my body up from the couch.

“I guess I’ll start these damn chores now,” I said to humor myself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this was pretty sweet compared to the first chapter. It'll even out by the end of it, hope you all tune in for more!


	3. It's a Chore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuto starts cleaning the house at considerable speed. While he tries to finish his chores, he tends to forget a lot of things that he must do today.

I surveyed the list from Asuna’s text alert again. Skimming through the list, I know she has expectations for me to come through with all the demands set forth. The list focuses on keeping the house clean and trash-free. Some parts of the list I could consider as complete, such as the dishes and the dining room and the kitchen itself.

I went to the dining table to spot any issues with our cleaning. The table and chairs were spotless and had nothing underneath them. Seems that our constant regard for up-keeping the house made this more like checking inventory than anything else. I checked the kitchen to see if there was also anything missing.

The kitchen was fine, but there was a slightly filled trash bin underneath the counter. I took the bag from the trash bin and placed a fresh one so that I can use it for today’s chores. I carried the slightly used trash bag until it was in the living room, making it easier to spot whenever I collect any dust or rubbish from the house.

This routine of mine is typical, since we’ve been cleaning out two-story home for about a year now with no infighting. A few disagreements, sure, but nothing major. We happily compromised on how we handled taking care of the house. Asuna and I usually split the responsibilities of each room.

I obligated to take chores that required myself to get into nooks and crannies behind appliances or furniture for cleaning. Having to bend down constantly to find any grime on the floor or surfaces of our house briefly wore me out a little. I’m glad I only do this twice a month, since not many people visit us to warrant additional upkeep. When I’m not cleaning the house, I tend to Asuna’s needs or get groceries. If absolutely nothing was needed, I would just raid in New Aincrad to get my level back up to where it was originally in SAO.

Ever since Asuna confirmed her pregnancy, she initially had a lot of trouble getting over her morning sickness. After about four months, she started feeling fatigued after the morning sickness subsided. Sometimes when it was her day off, she’d lay in bed and eat whatever I cooked for her that day. Plus, any snacks we had from the dresser were also consumed. I knew at the time it was going to be rare to see her do any upkeep, but in spite of that she managed to cook food and tend to the laundry when she was able to. Although I still had my fair share with those duties. This past month has been smooth. She has been more mobile and energetic, which gave us more time to be together after chores were done. She’s happy experiencing this side of life. Scratch that, _we’re_ happy experiencing this side of life. With everything considered, I am glad this is happening to us, Asuna and I.

After being absorbed in my thoughts, I turned on the Wi-Fi radio in the living room and tuned it to my favorite station. It had a mixture of hip-hop, jazz, and some pop music that let me glide through my chores. I briefly listen to anything important before I started cleaning, sometimes I get information on deals that I might be interested in. First, it was commercials about a new VRMMO and some special grand opening event for the first 50,000 players to log-in once it comes out. It sounded okay, another fantasy-themed world, but it wasn’t synchronized with the Seed. A completely different company using special hardware that was fairly cheap. From what I was told it was American-made, and didn’t seem to be as powerful compared to what I’m used to experiencing.

_~PLAY THE ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC WORLD OF FORBIDDEN TALE FOR FREE – GRAND OPENING EVENT STARTS THIS FRIDAY!!~_

There were more commercials about new drive-thru options for restaurants I used to go to with our friends, but nothing was captivating me into hearing more about it. I waited until a song I could recognize started to play and decided to begin my chores. I started to check the living room, making sure if there’s any stains on the couch that I missed. There was one stain on the middle seat of the couch, looks like fruit juice of some kind. I readily got the vacuum and a clean microfiber cloth from the kitchen closet, and prepared myself a bucket with some soap and water. It isn’t orthodox, but for this kind of stain I’ll be fine doing it this way.

“Looks like you’re done for!” I said with content.

I grabbed the cloth and swirled it inside the bucket to make sure it is soapy enough for this job.

“…Take that!”

  
I heard some hip-hop play from the radio while cleaning the stain out. I vacuumed to see if the stain wasn’t seeping too deep into the material. Some of the residue was lifting up, making this a breeze to clean up. I knelt down and continued wiping the area of the stain. Making sure I cover as much as I could with suds from the cloth. The stain was nearly gone, and I aggressively made sure there was no spot left on the couch. After checking once more, the couch’s stain was finally eradicated. Still listening to the last seconds of the rapid and loud instrumental coming from the radio’s stereo.

“Victory is Kazuto’s!” I yelled with vigor.

Stretching both my arms out while some of the now dirty water started to drip from the cloth in my right hand’s grasp. Trickling down to my sleeve and began to damp quickly. I realize this and put my arms back down.

“O-oh...” I whispered to myself in embarrassment.

I squeezed the cloth above the bucket to make sure it was dried enough. I still felt the dampness of my sleeves from not paying attention earlier.

‘Great, I’ll have to take another shower and wash my shirt,’ I said to myself grudgingly.

I got up and moved the bucket of soapy water and the rag back to the kitchen closet. I quickly took off my shirt, revealing a black tank top underneath. Placing the shirt in our laundry hamper, I began my next phase in cleaning the rest of the rooms.

‘ _That’s three rooms down, about another six more to go.’_

I continued at the same pace, constantly surveying each room with as much care as the other three previous rooms. Making sure there are no other stains on our furniture. Our private bedroom had some trash left in each bin that was for the room and the bathroom. The private bathroom attached to the room had some toothpaste remains left around the sink that I quickly took care in removing. I quickly gather all the trash in a smaller bag, and when I got down to the living room, I put it inside the larger kitchen bag that I placed down earlier. I checked the laundry room to see if there was anything else that I needed to take out.

The humming from one of the two dryers is probably from Asuna earlier, so I didn’t bother interacting with it. The main washer seemed a bit dusty, so I quickly wiped it down with a new cloth that was dampened with clean water. I checked the rest of the room; it had some occupied space that acted as a pantry for us. Most of the perishable food will last us for several months, it mainly for myself since I enjoyed snacking periodically. Lately, Asuna was craving various foodstuffs that were either chocolate, instant ramen, or peanut butter. I list everything in the pantry, and all things were accounted for except for chocolate.

“Oh… Right!” I said in shock.

I need to get a dozen chocolate boxes from the convenient store. I can’t believe I forgot about them, I even told her I would get it after breakfast. I was going to nap for most of the morning before the notification stopped me.

Fortunately, there was only the issue of accumulated dust having to be dealt with in unoccupied rooms. These rooms were guest rooms with one also attached with a closet and bathroom, the other just had a larger closet that had better customization that may be useful later. I gathered the dust in each room in a quick pace, as if my life depended on it. I slid across the polished wooden floor in each hallway with tremendous speed. Making myself aware of each piece of furniture while trying to quickly dispose of the remaining trash that was occupying every room. I gathered everything from the remaining rooms and swiftly walked down the stairs to the living room.

“Since I’m done, I’ll make myself lunch.” I mutter, while I pace towards the kitchen.

I rummaged through the cabinets again, and managed to find a quick snack that didn’t produce crumbs. They were simple cakes that stave off my hunger for the afternoon. The cake was filled with red beans, the taste and smell had a robust sweetness for lunchtime snacks. I grabbed a bottle of green tea in the fridge for emergencies like these, making sure I had something to wash down. At first, I wasn’t used to tea bottled and chilled, but I had a liking for its flavor. I took a few sips before drinking the entire bottle after finishing the remaining cake. I threw the bottle and the wrapping of the red bean cake into the trash bag.

Miraculously, the kitchen bag was now filled to the brim with trash. After tying the bag neatly, I put on my shoes before carrying it outside. I noticed the whirling clouds starting to get darker as I walked out to put the bag into the garbage can. It was an eerie sight, then I felt something hit my face. It was a cool droplet that formed on my cheek. After the first one, there was another, then a third one. Quickly, the rain started to pour of my onyx hair and drupe across my entire face. After that I dashed back into the house, right before it was pouring. I checked the weather and it is now reporting heavy rain for at least an hour.

I sighed. “I’ll wait until the storm clears up, I guess.”

I shifted my eyes to my phone’s time once again. It was reading a few minutes till noon, about three hours until the raid begins, and about two hours until Asuna returns home. I went back to the living room and turned down the radio to a low enough volume to rest on the couch. I began setting my alarm to 1 PM for an hour-long nap. Adding a reminder to get Asuna her dozen chocolate boxes from the store after the rain subsides. I attempt to rest my eyes, putting my phone in my left pocket. A calm presence filled the room. I started to drift off to sleep.

_*whir*_

_*WHIR*_

‘Hmmm?’ I rubbed my eyes with my fists, a bit confused as to who was calling me.

Normally I get a call from Asuna at about 2 PM to check on me before she drives home. I pull out my phone to check the incoming call.

‘It’s from Yui?’ I thought to myself, seeing her face in the icon.

I accept the call and pull the phone a bit close to my right ear.

“Hello?” I asked.

“Hello, Papa!” Yui said softly.

“What’s up? It has been a while since you called me,” I said in concern. “Did you need something?”

“No Papa.” She said.

“Then what was the reason for calling me?” I asked, still confused.

“I saw you acting bizarre today, stretching your arms out and sliding across the floor.” She said.

Another one of my shining moments, I completely ignored the cameras in the house that Yui uses. If she wants to see us, and that we aren’t using the AmuSpheres she’ll use these instead to somewhat communicate. The camera is a bit similar to the Audiovisual Bidirectional Communication Probe, where she can only see what we are doing from the cameras that are placed in the house.

The cameras are local, and can be used to retrieve video and audio, but we didn’t want to infringe on the privacy of our guests. I made sure this didn’t happen with an app, so that Asuna and I can disable both audio and video when we had guests arrive, or if we both wanted some privacy of our own. Yui is a good kid, but I didn’t want her to utilize the cameras too much.

We had to disable the audio entirely, mostly due to an ‘episode’ we had one night. Those loud sounds of passion were extremely muffled behind our bedroom door for Yui to retrieve any information. Beyond what she could gather herself, she thought we were having a terrible argument. It was a whole mess of awkward to sort out with Yui and what she heard. It was too embarrassing for Asuna to explain it to Yui, and I can't blame her. So I had to step in and explain to Yui over the phone that she was only hearing us ‘practicing’ our swordplay. There wasn't anything wrong and we weren't having an argument.

Thus, Yui took everything I said to heart, and with a joyful yelp she ended the call after hearing my explanation.

_Thank._

_God._

The cameras were only pinned within the hallways, the kitchen, and the living room. I'm glad I thought of it ahead of time when that incident happened. Otherwise I probably wouldn't have the answer to give to Yui. She usually calls by phone to greet us if we’re awake. I got used to the surprise calls now and I'm happy she's calling again. I’m still trying to find a way to bring Yui to our world, but it’ll take time. Going back to the realization that she noticed my sporadic actions from the cameras, I tried to explain my behavior to her over the phone.

I laughed it off. “Yeah, I got carried away with cleaning today. Sorry about that, Yui.”

“I saw you and Mama eating chocolate pancakes too, do you think I’ll have some Papa?”

“Of course! I’ll make a batch for you when we bring you home with us, promise!”

“Yay, thank you!” She said happily. “And I hope I get tons of syrup on mine!”

“I’ll make sure of that.” I declared. “Anyway, I wanted to nap for an hour until the rain stops.”

“I’m aware Papa, you did amazing work at cleaning the house, I bet Mama is proud of you.”

Acknowledging her praise, I realized she probably watched the entirety of our tearful moment earlier in the morning. I felt a slight flush between my face after discovering this on my own deduction.

“Yeah… She is proud of me, isn’t she?” I said softly. “Hey Yui, I’ll take a nap now, okay?”

“Okay Papa, I love you!”

She quickly ended the call with me, I place the phone back in my left pocket. The radio was still playing music, but it was mainly soft instrumentals. The rain hammered against the slanted roof of our happy home, as an attempt to be apart of the melodious tunes. Drifting towards sleep once again, I grin peacefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a bit humorous to write this chapter. There's not a whole lot going on, but it does establish how Kazuto and Asuna live in their home. As well as explaining Yui's role within the house.
> 
> Edit (4/6): Did some edits for this chapter and chapter two. I guess I was deleting words or lines by accident when I was formatting. Oops! Everything should be fine now, my apologies for any errors that popped up before. Thank you anons for alerting me!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at writing fan-fiction, especially for AO3. I have an interest in writing, but I've focused on a lot of philosophical and historical topics. Due to the situation the world is facing in 2020, my courses are delayed and all of my assignments are spread across. Since I already invested some time in series such as Sword Art Online, I wanted to take a crack at writing on something I've been interested in lately. 
> 
> I recall watching the series briefly and some of the WNs in 2012, but wasn't too interested. Now I watched and read everything that was aired / published currently (other than Unital Ring, though I have some imagination on how that'll play out), and so far I enjoy how the series progressed so far.
> 
> I'm also trying to figure out all the formatting and style to my writing, so don't be shy about helping me out with any issues that may occur while I work on this project!


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